The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-12-16

An ! 1t was not merely the Two pieces or
wood that he carried; it was the trans
gressions of the race, the anguish of the
ages, the wrath of God, the sorrows of
hell, the stupendous interests of an
unending eternity. No wonder
his back bent No wonder the
blood started from every pore. No won
der that he crouched under torture that
made the sun faint, and the everlasting
hills tremble, and the dead rush up in
their winding-sheetsa as he cried:
If it be possible, let this cup pass from me.
But the cup did not pass. None to COM
fort.
There he hangs! What has that hand
done that it should be thus crushed in the
palm? 1t has been healing the lame and
wiping away tears. What has that foot
been doing that it should be so lacerated?
1t has been going about doing good. OF
what has the victim been guilty? Guilty
of saving a world. Tell me, ye heavens
and earth, was there ever such another
criminal? Was there ever such crime?
On that hill of carnage, that sunless day,
amid those bowling rioters, may not your
sins and mine have perished? I believe
it.
Oh, the ransom has been paid. Those
arms Of Jesus were stretched out so wide
that when he brought them together again
they might embrace the world. Oh, that
I might, out OF the blossoms of the spring
or the flaming foliage of the autumn
make one wreath for my Lord Oh that
all the triumphal arches of the world
could be swung in one gateway, where
the King of Glory might come in! Oh
that all the harps and trumpets and or
gans of earthly music might, in one
anthem, speak His prasel
But what were earthly flowers to Him
who walketh amid the snow of the white
lilies of Heavenl What were arches of
earthly masonry to Him who hath about
His throne a rainbow spun out of ever
lasting sunshine! What were all earthly
on one side, and the cherubim
and seraphim and archangeIs stand
on the other side, and all the space
between is filed with the doxo1ogies of
eternal jubilee the hosauah Of "a redeemed
earth, the hallelujah of unfallen angels,
song after song rising about the throne of
God and of the Lamb. In that pure, high
place, let Him hear US. Stop harps of
Heaven, that our poor cry may be heard.
Oh,my Lord Jesus, it viii not hurt Thee
for one hour to step out from the shining
throne. They viii make it all up when
Thou goest back again. Come hither, o
blessed one, that we may kiss Thy feet.
Our hearts, too long withheld, we now sur
hack, tell it to all the immortals that the
lost are found, and let Thy fathers house
ring with the music and the dance.
They have some Old wine in Heaven,
not used except in rare festivities. In this
world those who are aceus toned to use
wine on great occasions bring out the wine
and say: f'This wine is thirty Y ears old, y
or ''forty years old" But the wine of
Heaven is more than eighteen centuries
old. 1t was prepared at the time when
Christ trod the wine press alone. When
such grievOus sinners as we come back,
Tnethinks the chamberlain of Heaven
cries out to the servants: "This is ua-
usual joYl Bring up from the vaults of
Heaven that cid wine. Fill all the
tankards. Let all the white-robed guests
drink to the immortal health of the Lord
Almighty" There is joy in Heaven
among the angels Of God over one sinner
that repenteth; and God grant that one
may be you.
Again, in order to have right heart it
must be forgiving heart. An old writer
says: ''To render good for evil is God
like; good for good is man like; evil for
good devil-like' Which of these natures
have we? Christ will have nothing to dc
with US as long as we keep any Old
grudge. We have all been cheated and
lied about. There are people who
dislike US so much that if we
should come down to poverty and dis
grace, they would say, "Good for him
Didn't I tell you so?' They never have un-
derstood US, and never will. They do not
understand US. Unsanctifed' human
nature says ''Wait till you get a good
crack at him, and when at last you find
him in tight place, give it to him. Flay
him alive. No quarter. Leave not rag
of reputation. Jump on him with both
feet. Pay him in his own coin-sarcasm
! for sarcasm, scorn for seorn, abuse fol
abuse"
But, my friends, that is not the right
kind of heart No man ever did so mean
a thing toward us as we have done toward
God. And if we can not forgive others,
how can we expect God to forgive usi
! Thousands of men have been kept out OF
| Heaven by an unforgiving heart.
Here is some one who says: 81 win for
give that man the wrong he did me about
that house and lot; ! will forgive
that man who overreached me in q
bargain; 1 viii forgive that man who
sold me a shoddy overcoat; 1 for
give them-all but one. That man I car
not forgive. The vilIain-I can hardly keeI
my hands of of him. 1t my going tC
| Heaven depends on my forgiving him
| then I viii stav out." Wrong feelingl II
a man lie to me once | am not called tC
| trust him again. If a man betray me
once am not called to put confidence il
| him again. But I would have no rest if ]
could not offer a sincere prayer for the
| temporal and everlasting welfare of al
men, whatever meannesses and outrages
| they have inflicted upon me. If you want
| to get your heart right, strike match and
| burn up all your old grudges and blow the
ashes away.
| If you forgive not men their tr~spasses
| neither win your Heavenly Father forgive you
| your trespasses.
An old Christian black woman was
| going along the streets of New York will
! a basket of apples that she had for sale
| A rough sailor ran against her and upset
/ the basket, and stood back, expecting K
hear her scold frightfully; but she STOPPED
| down and picked up the apples, and said
/ "GOd forgive you, my son, as I do" Thi
/ sa iloi saw the meanness of what he haC
| done, and felt in his pocket for his money
/ and insisted that she should take it all
/ Though she was black. he called
/ her mother and said: For give me, moth
| er; I will never do any thing so NEAR
/ again" An! there is a power in a for
| giving spirit to overcome all hardness
/ There is no way of conquering men Iiki
/ that of bestowing upon them your pardon
! whether they viii accept it or not.
! Again, a right heart is an expectan
/ heart. 1T is a poor business to be building
| castles in the air. Enjoy what you hav,
/ now. Don't spoil your comfort in th'
/ small house because you expect a large
/ one. Don't fret about your income wher
1 it is thee or four dollars per day, becaus
1 you expect TO have after awhile ten dol
1 lars per day; or ten thousand dollar
year because you expect /
/ to be twenty thousand dollars a year
/ But about heavenly things. the NOR
we think the better. Those castle
/ are not ia the air, bat on the hills, and ",
/ have a deed Of them in our posses
| sion. I like to see man all full O
| Heaven. He talks Heaven He sing,
/ Heaven. He pravs Heaven. He dream
/ Heaven Some of us in our 81 eep have has